Is food dyes and red 40 safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about food dyes and red 40 during pregnancy?

1. Nine certified color additives are approved for use in food in the United States, and every batch of a synthetic color must pass FDA batch certification, in which the agency analyzes a representative sample for identity and chemical composition before it can be used. 1
2. On children's behavior, the FDA's position is that the totality of scientific evidence indicates most children have no adverse effects from foods containing color additives, while some evidence suggests certain children may be sensitive to them. 1
3. FD&C Red No. 3 authorization was revoked in January 2025 under the Delaney Clause because it caused cancer in male laboratory rats, and the FDA stated plainly that the rat mechanism does not occur in humans and that claims of human risk are not supported by the available scientific information. 2
4. In April 2025 the FDA announced a timeline to move the food industry off petroleum-based dyes, beginning revocation for Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B and working with industry to eliminate Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Blue 2. 3
5. Among pregnant women and women of childbearing age who consume artificial food colors, estimated exposure was highest for Red No. 40 followed by Yellow No. 6, and adult women's estimated intakes ran lower than children's across the dyes studied. 4

Is food dyes and red 40 safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. No dye has been linked to birth defects in humans, and there is no first-trimester rule to follow. The realistic first-trimester angle is different: brightly colored candy and sports drinks are common nausea foods, and if that is what you can keep down, the dye is not the thing to worry about.
• Second trimester. This is a good stretch to notice where dyes actually come from in your diet. Estimated exposure among women of childbearing age is highest for Red 40, then Yellow 6 and Yellow 5, and the sources are mostly candy, frostings, flavored drinks, and cereals rather than anything nutritionally important.
• Third trimester. The regulatory ground is moving. FD&C Red No. 3 authorization was revoked in January 2025 with a reformulation deadline of January 2027 for foods, and the FDA is working with industry on six other synthetic dyes. Expect labels to change; that is not the same as a new safety finding.